1969 - Street Scenes of Binghamton, New York

[@phyllisa1000]

Thanks so much!!!! Brings back soo many memories of awesome times growing up in Binghamton, including riding the free merry-go-rounds and swimming in the free swimming pools in the Triple Cities....graduated BHS in 1955!!!! Enjoyed working in one of 3 stores of my parents, Marvin and Mary Taub, in downtown Binghamton, one of their 3 shops, Tri Phi Shops, right there on Court Street!!!! (others in Endicott and Johnson City) "Those were the days, My Friend!!!!" Phyllis Taub Albritton

[@normatwater7419]

Was born there in 1943 and got out of town 1960 joined the Navy and in 69 i was at Greats Lakes pushing recruits through boot camp . Retired with 25 years Now here i am 80 in SC and reminiscing .

[@thomasklugh4345]

To: normatwater7419... My family lived in Bing too. My older brother also joined the Navy but in '63, went to Great Lakes for Boot Camp, then to Sub School. He retired after 22 years. He's now 78 and right behind ya.

[@TimothyForbesXXI]

This looks more like 1966-1967. Great to see. Thanks!!!

[@todaresq]

3:13 The Marconi Tower, chimney & building, and the train station to the left are all there.

[@cathyjackson1783]

Wow..brings back so many memories!

[@personalbyedl]

My father who grew up on Henry Street, where my grandmother lived until 1994-which was the second year of the baseball stadium, always raved about the Arlington Hotel. I never knew where it had been until seeing this footage. What's there now across from the train station is the parking lot for employees and the postal trucks and shipping docks.

[@robcollins3265]

What an interesting video! Having been born here in Greater Binghamton after the video was dated and seeing so many landmarks that were referenced in some maps that I modernized and digitized a few years back, this gave a true feel of the area during its urban renewal phase. Much has changed in the 50+ years, some for the better, some seemed not so necessary. Many thanks to the person who took the video time capsule and even more to whomever that restored it!

[@scenichanger]

Oh yeah, especially near the end, where it shows the old grocery/dry goods warehouses by the tracks, and the old DLW station. But most of the film seems to be a documentation of what was there before Urban Renewal.

[@peterjb49]

Very cool, I was in Vietnam that year.

[@charlieb.5760]

Great old video of Binghamton! Most cities in the U.S. have changed quite a bit since these days.

[@stephenkutney9626]

The newest car that I saw was a 1966 Impala.

[@johnmuschaweck9395]

I miss binghamton, born n raised there!!!

[@jec1ny]

Great video though I think the dating may be off by a couple years. Most likely not later than 67. Mom and dad both used to talk about the Arlington. Apparently it was where anybody with money stayed in Binghamton back in the day. When it was first built in the early 1900s it was the only hotel in the area that had rooms with private bathrooms. During 1920-40s it was a hot spot on Saturday nights with live music from the big bands/orchestras of the time. People would dress up and spend the night dancing and socializing. By the late 1960's though it had become somewhat run down and dated.

[@jameskalka3224]

Great film of my old hometown. Judging by the cars on the streets I'm thinking more very late 50's to mid 60's??? Anyway, still enjoyable to see old Binghamton again.

[@Chris-wj4ze]

Keep in mind that most people didn't drive around in new cars.

[@jameskalka3224]

I spent my life in Bingo and I'm basing my time line on the buildings and businesses I see in this film, not only the cars!

[@Binghamton607]

Wow, just wow.

[@edz2974]

Thanks for the video. My folks moved the family to Binghamton in 1960. I was 6 and unlike many people I really feel I wasted my life staying around the place. Its now very depressing and in somewhat of a death spiral. I do remember a good period up until the late 80’s then all the promises, tax breaks, urban renewal started showing its true self. A shame a once tech, industrial area has turned into something third world. I wont step foot in Binghamton.

[@johngnipper8768]

You bet ,it’s a ghetto and a tax hole for any business dumb enough to try to make a go of it . I sold my property in NY and I won’t buy any here again .

[@lindsey607]

You are so right about that place.

[@personalbyedl]

Born here, raised here, living here, and will likely die here. No wonder it has been commonly referred to as "Bummington" on occasion. 😒

[@classicmoments9433]

@@personalbyedl and “Bingerville”

[@bonniet7110]

Was it the Carlton Hotel than had underground parking? My dad used to park cars and let me ride my bicycle down the ramp when safe. If not the Carlton, where were we? I was just a wee kid.

[@Ronin4614]

That was the year I finished undergrad, got married and left Binghamton to join the service; did not nave much choice in that. Made a career in the military and would visit family from time to time. I watched the crime rate and poverty level rise. Downtown just did not look the same at all and my last visit was around the turn of the century.

[@r.pres.4121]

If you think Binghamton destroyed their downtown with urban renewal, come to western New York and check out both Niagara Falls and Lockport. Both those cities literally did away with their downtown cores.

[@cordiscoscorner]

What a VERY interesting and sad video. My father was born on Warren St. Another gov't lie "urban renewal". It gutted this city and it never recovered.

[@charlieb.5760]

There are some nicer areas of Binghamton still left, but certainly not the north side. Now CVS and Lupos are gone from there. I know that where your store was is not the nicest neighborhood in the city unfortunately. I thought it was unique you had a storage area and some chess games also. Best of luck to you.

[@cordiscoscorner]

@@charlieb.5760 Thanks. I sold the buiding in 2021. Didn't get a lot. Be well.

[@MikeEagle429]

My mother lived on Warren Street.

[@cordiscoscorner]

​@@charlieb.5760 Thanks Charlie. Watching this video hurts my heart.

[@manidig]

This is film from 1968-1969. Maybe a little earlier. It's all the things that were torn down in those years in the name of "urban renewal" along Chenango Street. The Hotel Arlington, The Hotel Carlton, all the other businesses as well as a church. Ironically it was across the street from the railroad station where by this time only one train came into and out of town in the late night hours (but still had many people getting on and off). It was the end of the Binghamton many people knew. A brand new US Post office was built on part of this land. The rest was vacant and might still be almost 50 years later. And the train stopped running in 1970 giving nobody a reason to come to this part of town.

[@notedmend]

This is pretty coolz video. I love seeing old city videos. What a shame this town went to pot.

[@YesNo-c3g]

You state 1969 but at around the 7:50 mark it shows the post office opposite the train station still under construction. I beleive it should have been well completed by 1969. So, this footage may be a few years older. Appreciate you sharing it all the same. Absolutely fascinating to watch. I want to know what that big silo is. It stands in what is the baseball stadium.

[@MikeEagle429]

You are correct.. The Post Office was finished and dedicated in August of '68. The plaquac stating that is on the wall in the front. I started working there 4th of January '69.

[@dolsiemercado3140]

It looks so clean and the community took care of the town. What has happened to it now?

[@billsnyder6391]

I love archival film. I grew up in West Corners before NY-17, so going to Binghamton was a day-long adventure on the rare day that IBM didn't have my father at work. I remember his driving past the caves on South Mountain and across the DeForest Street bridge. I was in Cub and Boy Scouts, so we had to go to McLean's in Binghamton, even though there was a McLean's in Endicott. We would park at the Queen Elizabeth Diner and walk between the the Parish House and Christ Church, an ediface that frightened me. Ironically, I have been a member there for...well...more years than I care to reveal. LOL. My father cursed the George F. Highway with its 3 lanes: one east-bound; one west-bound; one for passing. I loved Babcock, Hines, and Underwood because (remember, I was a 6 yo!) because you could go into the store on either State or Washington St. My father "treated" us to dinner at the Arlington once. The seats and the table were sticky. It was so dark that my mother could not read the menu. The server actually brought a flashlight saying, "This is a famous restaurant. You must be from out of town." My father said, "If you call Endicott out of town. I work for IBM." I've never felt so bad for any waitstaff. My Dad was not an exec or even an engineer, but they made us get out of the booth and cleaned it. The Arlington depended on rail traffic waiting for hours for connections. I do NOT claim to know the reasons for the destruction of the Arlington; anecdotal evidence from a then-10-year old does not equal documentation, but this is what I remember. Also, anecdotal is the report I heard from Carolyn Babcock, the widow of former Christ Church Senior Warden Burton Babcock. She reported that Burton got in a fist-fight with the then-mayor, who wanted the property that is now Christ Episcopal Church for a 6-story downtown mall called the MetroCenter. You want to walk up Washington Street? You have have go around the empty MetroCenter vs. 1855 Christ Church. Mondev promised us an underground parking garage. Still waiting for that. I miss lots that was Binghamton. I miss lots that was Endicott. I'm not going to complain, since I can do nothing to change it, except to support what is there now. If you are angry at the changes, don't whine at me. Do something, otherwise you are impotent and useless.

[@thomasklugh4345]

You should put this to music... not sure what kind.

[@IndianOutlaw1870]

One city I'd like to forget.

[@franimal007]

We did forget it, moved to Knoxville! Every time we go back to visit stuck relatives, it looks worse to me and my wife.

[@Dedhead6992]

it's to bad that so much money had been wasted on polishing up the bar distract dt and the hotels/amenities in Vestal for bu students and family while the of Endicott JC and neighborhoods of local residents look like a low budget thrasher pic from the 70s

[@ltd-edition-koa]

I agree with the Bummington concept!

[@brianjamds6617]

What “money?” Ain’t no money in the Triple Cities anymore.

[@cinnaminson0653]

It looks exactly the same now other than the style of the cars. It's a depressing place.

[@_J0N_TAFFER]

Before they started spraying chemtrails in the 70s. Beautiful time in history right there